School Daze
by Jeremy Harper
Summary: Sequel to Looking For Trouble - Ranma honestly expected attending Furinkan High with Akane to be dull. He had not expected having to deal with a complication from Kuno's harassment of Akane. Nor did he ever contemplate being confronted by someone from his childhood in Japan, looking for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

School Daze

A Ranma ½/Batman Fan Fiction

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Batman is the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Both are used without permission.

Part 1 – Choices and Consequences

Chapter 1

"I'll get it," said Kasumi, rising gracefully from the _chabudai_ to answer the knock at the front door. She came back a half-minute later, smiling and with Ranma in tow. Nabiki concealed a smirk behind her coffee cup, not certain who was more pleased by the young Saotome's presence – Akane or her father.

"Good morning, Ranma," Akane greeted brightly.

"Looking good, Saotome," said Nabiki. The Furinkan school uniform he was wearing was so well tailored it almost looked stylish on him.

"Eh," said Ranma as he gave the jacket a tug to straighten it. "If there's one thing I know how to do, it's wear a uniform." Only the two youngest Tendos detected the sardonic note in his statement. "At least Furinkan doesn't require a tie to go with the dress shirt."

"I'm glad to see you this morning, son," said Soun. "I appreciate how diligent you are, escorting your fiancée to school."

Akane and Nabiki rolled their eyes, while Kasumi sighed inaudibly. Ranma simply smiled blandly.

"Well, Akane _is_ my friend. I enjoy spending time with her."

"Would you like some tea, Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"No, I'm good, thank you. But that does remind me – Alfred's invited you and Mr. Tendo to come over to our place for tea today, if you're interested."

Kasumi nodded thoughtfully. "Father has physical therapy this morning." Soun winced, touching his bandaged shoulder. His therapist was a bit more demanding than he liked. "But we'll be most pleased to visit after. You have no plans, right father?"

Soun shook his head. "No, Kasumi dear. I'll be happy to go. Mr. Pennyworth sets a good table."

"Alfred also wants me to tell you we're hosting an official house warming party at the place we rented this Saturday," continued Ranma. "Nothing too large or fancy. My parents are going to be there." Ranma sounded less than enthused. "Along with Yoru-sensei and his student Kairi. Also a few people in the neighborhood Alfred's become acquainted with. Your family doctor, for one." He smiled slyly at Nabiki. "Roy will be there as well."

Nabiki became very interested. "Really now?"

"Yeah. The Tokyo Branch of Queen Consolidated has some security issue that needs looking into. So Ollie's sending his company's head of security over and Roy's hitching a ride with him. He's a good friend of Bruce and mine, so he'll be at the housewarming as well." That caught Akane and Nabiki's notice, but Ranma did not seem inclined to go into further detail.

"How nice," said Kasumi. "We're glad to accept the invitation." Akane beamed in agreement and Nabiki grinned happily. Soun nodded slightly, his expression neutral. While recent events had made him accept his middle daughter's new relationship with Ranma's good friend, he was still less than enthused by it.

Akane finished her tea and stood. "We should get going. We don't want to be late for Ranma's first day." She smiled, happy to have Ranma going to school with her and still enjoying the novelty of being able to step through the Furinkan gates without having to worry about getting attacked by a horde of hormonal idiots.

"Of course," said Kasumi. "Let me get your bentos." She fetched her sisters' lunches and saw them and Ranma off, wishing them all a good day.

"So who's this friend of yours and Roy?" Akane asked as the three teens started their walk to Furinken High School.

"His name's John Diggle. Like I said, he works for Ollie at Queen Consolidated." He quickly took stock of his surroundings, making sure no one else was in earshot. "He's also in the know," he continued in a softer voice. "Mostly supplies support for Ollie, Dinah and Roy, but sometimes he does field work – uses the code name of Spartan. I like him a lot. He's level headed and smart, and a real cool guy."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him."

"I wonder why Roy didn't tell me he was coming back so soon," Nabiki said, whining slightly.

"It's a last minute thing," said Ranma. "I just found out myself this morning, when I talked to him before he headed out to work. He'll probably text you when he gets a free moment."

"You've been talking to Roy a lot since he left, haven't you?" asked Akane.

Nabiki nodded. "Yeah, we text all the time, though there's a bit of a lag between our responses for obvious reasons. I'm glad I'm going to get to see him again so soon. He wasn't sure when he'd next be in Japan." She sighed, but then smiled. "Oh well, it's not like we went into this blind. Long separations were an unavoidable part of the deal."

"Well, not to get your hopes up," said Ranma, "but Roy's probably going to visit again around the end of August or beginning of September, before the school year starts. He'll be coming with some friends of mine. I'm _really_ looking forward to that – it's been a month since I've last seen them, and I probably won't be able to see them again until I go back to America next year. I hope it doesn't fall through."

"Are they the rest of the Titans?" Akane asked softly. At her fiance's nod she grinned brilliantly. "This is _so_ cool."

"It's definitely made life a lot more interesting," Nabiki said. "Speaking of interesting, have you two decided about whether you're going to be open about your engagement at school?"

Ranma exchanged glances with Akane then shrugged. "I think it'd be best if we were, but I'm willing to follow Akane's lead on this."

Akane frowned. "I really don't think it's anyone else's business, Nabiki."

"Didn't you tell Yuka and Sayuri?"

"Yes, but they're my two closest friends. I couldn't keep it a secret from them, and they've promised not to tell anyone."

"And what if they let it slip? Also, you know daddy isn't going to keep quiet about it. Frankly I'm surprised he hasn't plastered announcement notices all over the ward yet. He, or maybe Kasumi, are going to mention it to someone, and eventually someone's kid who goes to Furinkan is going to hear about it. But even if by some miracle it doesn't get out, how do you plan on explaining moving to the States with Ranma come New Year's?"

Akane thought over her sister's reasoning for a minute before letting out a deep sigh. "I hate it when you're right," she grumbled.

Nabiki smiled. "That's because I'm always right."

"I wouldn't go _that_ far. Okay, we won't keep it a secret, but I don't want to book the school auditorium and make a public announcement, either."

"I can handle it for you if you want. I won't even charge you for it."

"Gee, thanks a lot. That's so generous of you."

"I thought so myself, my dear little sister."

Akane was about to retort when she noticed Ranma had fallen behind by a few steps. He had unslung his book bag from his shoulder and he was slowly, carefully looking around.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Dunno," he said. He frowned briefly and shook his head. "I thought for a moment someone was watching us."

Nabiki arched an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. But now, I'm not certain." He clucked his tongue. "If we were being watched, the spook's gone now. Maybe I was imagining it. First day nerves." He did not look convinced when he said that. "In any case nothing I can do about it right now. Let's get going." The Tendo girls looked concerned, but nodded in agreement and they continued on at a quickened pace.

* * *

 _The boy has gotten better since last I saw him. I must be cautious._

* * *

Author's Note – So we begin the third main story in this sequence I've been playing with for the past three years. While _Looking For Trouble,_ at the time of this writing, is technically unfinished, all that remains for that story is an epilogue. All you really know is that the circumstances around Nabiki's kidnapping has made Soun a bit more willing to accept her relationship with Roy.

The next chapters may be longer. We'll see how they go. I also don't think _School Daze_ will be as long as either _Shadows Over Nerima_ or _Looking For Trouble._

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much. I'm afraid I haven't been feeling very well, either physically or emotionally. I'm not sure if I've completely recovered, so I don't know how often I'll be updating. It doesn't help that I'm a very lazy fellow to begin with.

Thanks again to the wondrous PurseMonger for her pre-reading and support.

Cheers,

Jeremy Harper


	2. Chapter 2

School Daze

A Ranma ½ / Batman Fan Fiction

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Batman is the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Both are used without permission.

Chapter 2

Akane, Nabiki and Ranma got to Furinkan in good time, reaching the school gates ten minutes before the first bell. Students filtered in at a steady pace, greeting acquaintances they had not seen since the start of summer break or gathering in groups to talk and gossip before heading to their home rooms. Akane quickly glanced back at Ranma – he had been trailing a few steps behind herself and Nabiki, an abstracted expression on his face, seemingly not paying attention to his surroundings. Akane knew that was not the case, that he was actually alert and very watchful. She shivered briefly, shrugging her shoulders, hoping that Ranma was right, that he only imagined they had been spied on after leaving the house.

"Akane!" a familiar and welcome voice called out. The youngest Tendo looked to the side of the school gates and saw Yuka and Sayuri, the former waving to her. She grinned and waved back.

"I'm going to head up to my classroom," said Nabiki. "I'll see you two later."

"Okay," answered Akane. "Come on, Ranma. I want you to meet my friends." Ranma nodded, letting out a soft breath in an attempt to relax. He had been guarded and alert since he got that strange feeling earlier.

"It's so good to see you," said Yuka, giving Akane a quick hug, and Sayuri followed suit. "We barely got to hang out this break."

"I know, and I'm so sorry about that! Things just got really busy for me."

"Well, a lot of that wasn't your fault," said Sayuri. The two girls were aware of Akane's kidnapping, though they were not privy to the true motivation behind her abduction. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, honestly," answered Akane. "I'm doing great. It helps that I'm training with people who take my martial arts seriously."

"You're happy with your new sensei?" asked Yuka. "I know you were upset with how your father was not teaching you anymore."

Akane's expression dimmed briefly but she quickly shook it away. "Yoru-sensei has been wonderful. I think I've learned more from him in a few weeks than I have the entire past year. And his chief student is really cool. I've become pretty good friends with her."

"Speaking of new friends, I take it this is Ranma?" said Sayuri.

"Yes," said Akane. "Ranma, these are my good friends Yuka Suzuhara and Sayuri Aida. Girls, let me formally introduce you to Ranma Saotome, my... umm... new friend."

Ranma bowed with crisp politeness. "A pleasure to meet you ladies." The two young women bowed in returned, Yuka smiling cheerfully while Sayuri looked him up and down with open admiration.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Ranma," said Yuka.

"Definitely," said Sayuri. She looked at Akane, smiling slyly. "So, beside the family arrangement, are you two really _just_ friends?"

"Sayuri," said Yuka chidingly.

"Yes, we're just friends," answered Akane, giving the other girl a bit of a glower. She noticed Ranma seemed amused.

Sayuri laughed and smiled cheekily. "That's a crying shame. Still, I have to admire your willpower." She looked around quickly, making sure no one was within earshot. "I don't think I'd be able to restrain myself if this hunk was _my_ fiancé," she finished softly, laughing as Akane blushed and Yuka giggled. Ranma blinked at that, coughing into his fist and blushing slightly himself.

"You're incorrigible, Sayuri," commented Yuka. The other girl shrugged, grinning saucily.

"What can I say? I've always been a free spirit."

"Yeah, and you're lucky that I like you that way," said Akane. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that _my_ luck ran out. Nabiki's hasn't teased me very much about our... umm... situation."

"Probably because she's been distracted with her own new boytoy," said Sayuri. Akane had told Yuka and her about Nabiki's brand new relationship. "So how about it, Ranma? Do you have any other cute friends coming to visit soon?"

"Ah... none who are on the market right now," Ranma answered.

"Too bad," Sayuri sighed in mock disappointment. She grinned and winked at Ranma. "Still, you can't blame a girl for trying."

Ranma laughed. He was starting to like this girl. "No, I guess you can't." The first warning bell for class sounded.

"We better head for home room," said Akane.

"Wait a moment, Akane," said Yuka, both her and Sayuri's expressions growing serious. "Kuno's back. We saw him when we arrived. He's standing by the front doors. He looks like he's waiting for... someone." Yuka hesitated a moment. "He's in his kendo uniform," she finished unhappily.

Akane's lips tightened into a thin line as her fists clenched. Ranma frowned, his blue eyes narrowing.

"Are you alright?" asked Sayuri, her own expression one of anger on behalf of her friend.

"I am," said Akane. "And I'll be better off than Kuno if he tries anything. Kairi-senpai taught me a move last lesson that I would _love_ to try out on a pervert stupid enough to bother me."

Sayuri relaxed slightly. "That's my girl."

"Thanks for the warning."

Yuka gave Akane a quick hug. "Friends stick together."

"That they do," said Ranma. He gave his fiancée's shoulder a quick, reassuring squeeze. "You ladies ready for class?" The three girls nodded and the quartet stepped through the school gates.

Tatewaki Kuno stood at the top of the steps, on watch, and upon spotting Akane he descended. Students slowed as he passed, watching him with morbid curiosity. He held his bokken reversed in his left hand, gripping it beneath its guard. His right arm hung somewhat stiffly at his side. He met Akane in the middle of the courtyard, blocking her path. The youngest Tendo glared balefully at him, while Sayuri and Yuka scowled. Ranma looked on. He seemed only mildly curious, but out of the corner of her eye Akane noticed his elbows and knees crooking slightly as he settled into the deceptively relaxed stance he favored at the start of a fight.

 _I hope it doesn't come to that,_ she thought grimly. _I've enjoyed not having to worry about fighting at school._

"Akane Tendo," said Kuno. He spoke slowly, as if picking each individual word with great care. "It is good to see you again."

"I can't say the same, Kuno," she retorted, not bothering with even a pretense of politeness. "I have nothing to say to you. I don't even want to _look_ at you."

Kuno winced. "You are unkind, my fierce tigress. I merely wish-"

" _I don't care._ Do you dare think that I owe you any kindness, after everything you've done to me? If it hadn't been for Nightwing, you and all those other stupid perverts would still be harassing and attacking me. Or maybe I'd be-" She cut herself off with a snap of her teeth, looking down at the pavement as her breath rasped harshly. She blinked rapidly, trying to stop the tears welling in her eyes. Her two girlfriends looked at her with deep concern, and Ranma stepped closer to her. Akane regained control of herself, drawing in a great breath before lifting her head and spearing Kuno with a glare of disgust and contempt. " _Leave me alone,_ " she ground out through gritted teeth.

The older student sagged, looking defeated. He shook himself, looking as if he was going to attempt to defend himself when his gaze shifted to Ranma, who he noted was standing close to Akane. Too close. Kuno's eyes narrowed sternly.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Ranma canted his head slightly. "Ranma Saotome."

"You stand rather close to Akane Tendo, Ranma Saotome. You are overly familiar with her. I do not approve."

Akane flushed angrily, but Ranma simply snorted, his mouth curving in a disdainful half-smile. "How familiar we are with each other isn't any of your business. I'm Akane's friend, and you have no say on who she can be friends with."

Kuno scowled. "You cur! I'll teach you to respect your superiors!"

"You'll do nothing!" snapped Akane. "Leave us alone, or I swear this time I'll break your arm instead of dislocating it."

Kuno drew himself short. The crowd that had gathered to watch the confrontation murmured. The general school population had not been aware of Akane having another fight with the upperclassman since that memorable day when he and his henchmen had been confronted by Nightwing. Kuno closed his eyes tightly and drew a great breath through his nose.

"Very well," he said. "I will leave you alone for now, Akane Tendo." He sneered haughtily at Ranma before turning on his heel and striding arrogantly toward the school building. Akane glared after him, her chest rising and falling sharply as she struggled to control her anger.

"Akane?" said Yuka.

Akane nodded. "I... I'm fine. Could you just give me a minute? I'll see you in class."

"Okay. We'll see you in a bit." Her friends headed for the front door. The gathered students began to disperse, still talking among themselves, some of them glancing at Ranma. A new face was always noteworthy, but a new student already so familiar with the school idol was especially gossip worthy. He stayed with Akane, watching her with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"I dunno." She gulped down a shaky breath. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to deal with Kuno. But now..." she shivered. "What he's done to me... what he nearly did to me at the temple... I thought I put that all behind me." She shook her head then looked at her fiancé with a shaky but honest smile. "I'll deal with it."

"You don't have to deal with it alone," Ranma said. "My offer still stands. J'onn would be more than happy to... to talk to you." He paused a moment. "The therapy sessions I've had with him helped me greatly," he finished softly.

"I'll give it more thought, Ranma. Thank you. We better get going."

He nodded in agreement and they walked slowly to the steps. Ranma frowned thoughtfully as they went.

"Kuno's wound up even tighter than I thought," he muttered. "I thought with Talia gone he'd settle down, but no such luck. Stupid bastard." Ranma sighed. "At least he didn't try to start a fight, so maybe he'll eventually relent. Optimism doesn't cost anything."

"What are you going to do for now?" Akane asked.

"Be very watchful. Worse comes to worst, Nightwing will pay him a visit. We'll figure something out. My word on it."

"Thank you," Akane said sincerely.

Ranma gave her a cocky grin. "All part of the service, Akane."

* * *

"Oh Nabiki, he's _cute!_ " squealed Junko.

"I don't think cute quite fits," said Misato. "He's hot. _Exotic_. A lot of people have a thing for blond haired, blue eyed _gaijin_ , but looking at this guy, red hair and green eyes seem so much more yummy."

"I'll be the last person to argue about that," said Nabiki, looking fondly at her phone.

The screen showed Roy dressed in a tight black t-shirt and blue jeans, muscular arms folded across his broad chest and a cocky smile on his face. She swiped the screen, bringing up a selfie she had taken with him. In it she wore a low-cut blue tank top and had her free arm draped over her boyfriend's shoulder. His arm was wrapped around her, hand resting just beneath her breasts, and the couple grinned happily at the camera.

"You two look disgustingly good together," said Misato. "So, is he the one?"

"Well, I don't know about _that,"_ said Nabiki _._ "But he has a lot of checkmarks in the plus column."

"Such as?"

"Besides being handsome, ripped and loaded? He's a _great_ kisser." Nabiki squirmed a little at the pleasurable memory of the intense make-out session they had the night he rescued her from Merlyn. "He's funny, smart, and has traveled a lot. He's worldly, nothing like the boys around here."

"And you think you're woman enough to hold on to a guy like that?" Misato asked, though with a friendly smile.

Nabiki smirked back and shrugged. "What can I say? I like a challenge, and I'm off to a good start. I kept his interest for the two weeks he was here."

"Still, he lives all the way over in California," Junko pointed out. "That's going to be tough."

Nabiki shrugged again. "Yeah, it is. But it's not like we're going into this blind. Roy and I had a few long talks about it. He's willing to make an effort, so there's no way I'm not going to. We both think it's worth it."

Junko shook her head and sighed. "You're _so_ lucky, Nabiki," she said wistfully.

The three girls turned away from the windows where they were hanging out by in time to see Kuno stalk into the class room and sit at his desk. He had changed into his school uniform and appeared furious, his aristocratic face pale and strained. Nabiki looked at him with cool disdain.

Misato noticed her ire. "You're finally angry with him?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes."

"Took you long enough. What did he do?"

"Went a step too far. That's all I'm going to say."

"What, he stop buying your photos?"

Nabiki grimaced. " _No_. Don't push this, Misato."

"Fine, fine. But considering he spent all last term picking fights with your sister and you barely blinked, you being ticked at him now has got me curious."

Nabiki frowned but said nothing. Misato had a valid reason for her curiosity. While Kuno's harassment of Akane had made Nabiki unhappy, the middle Tendo had never done anything to help her. Indeed, she had taken a guilty pleasure in her seemingly perfect little sister's predicament, and had even exploited it for her own profit, selling Kuno candid photos of Akane. Nothing obscene or even risqué – Nabiki had not been willing to compromise her sister's privacy _that_ far. Just pictures of her training in a gi or jogging in a t-shirt and running pants, nothing else. But even for such tame pictures Kuno had paid Nabiki so much that she saw no reason not to continue supplying him. But when she had learned of his role in Akane's abduction, any previous goodwill toward her classmate evaporated, leaving behind only cold anger. Her anger at Kuno had intensified after her own kidnapping at the hands of Merlyn and Hugo Strange, since she now knew on a personal level how scary the experience had been for Akane.

Junko interrupted her thoughts. "You know, it always surprised me you never tried to date Kuno."

Nabiki snorted contemptuously. "Please! I mean, yeah, he has money and looks. But even leaving out his obsession with Akane, I prefer my men to have at least a modicum of brains and common sense."

"I thought that would have been a plus, though. Him being such a dip you could have gotten a lot of nice things out of him."

Nabiki thought that over a moment then shrugged. "That's a good point, but even so it still wouldn't have been worth dealing with that moron."

With that comment the final bell rang and the girls took their seats. Nabiki's desk was next to Kuno's; she resolved to speak to the class rep at the end of the day to see if she could move her assigned seating – the farther from Kuno, the better.

For the next few classes Nabiki did her best to ignore him and concentrate on the lessons but she found it difficult. She could feel the tension seething in Kuno, a great pressure building, threatening to explode to the detriment of all around him. After their third class ended and the teacher departed the room Kuno turned to her.

"I wish to speak with you, Nabiki Tendo."

She did not bother looking up from her notes. "A thousand yen," she said.

"What?" She had never charged him for just speaking to her.

"I have no wish to listen to you right now, so if you're insistent about wasting my time then you have to pay for the privilege."

Kuno inhaled sharply in annoyance but did not hesitate to take out his wallet and produce a one-thousand yen note. Nabiki deftly snatched it, stuffing it in her purse.

"What do you want, Kuno-baby?"

"This morning a boy accompanied your sister to school today. A rude cur by the name of Ranma Saotome. He spoke most disrespectfully to me and had the audacity to claim he was her friend. With effort I refrained from treating him as he deserved, not wishing to upset my beauteous fierce tigress, but I wish to know more about him. What do you know of this Saotome, Nabiki Tendo?"

She pursed her lips as she pondered his question. She had been thinking about the best way to announce Akane's engagement since the walk to school this morning, taking into consideration Kuno's likely reaction. A part of her had been hoping – foolishly perhaps – that his recent experiences would have made him docile, but in this case luck was not on her side. Maybe he could mitigate his response, but one look at his face, jaw clenched and teeth bared, made the prospect seem dim.

 _Damn it_ , she thought. Kuno was eventually going to find out, if not from her then from someone else when the news of the engagement finally broke. However she did not want to be responsible for setting him off and any subsequent explosion.

"I am waiting, Nabiki Tendo," he said impatiently.

 _Well, nothing ventured..._ "Alright, but it'll cost you. Ten-thousand yen."

His brows lifted slightly. "That is an exorbitant price."

"Take it or leave it." She hoped he would leave it, even though she would lose out on the money. He hesitated, but only for a moment before opening his wallet again and offering her several more yen notes. Nabiki sighed as she accepted them.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But I want you to listen and listen well. Akane and Ranma are _not_ going to go through with this arrangement."

"What arrangement?" Kuno demanded.

 _This is going to suck._ "Akane and Ranma are friends, but they're also something more. My father had an agreement with Ranma's father, something they came up with when they were younger. They're both martial artists and wanted to unite the two schools they practiced. So they decided that their children would marry."

Kuno's face flushed deep crimson as his hands clenched tightly on top of his desk, knuckles going white. "What?!" he shrieked. Immediately all eyes turned to him. "Akane is _engaged_ to that wretch?!"

 _Damn it!_ "Yes. They're formally engaged, but they have no plans on actually getting married. Ranma's parents are not his current guardians. His foster father was against it, but then agreed to follow the letter of the agreement to satisfy both families' honor. So they are engaged but they're not under any obligation to get married, and will break it off when Ranma turns twenty-one. They're just friends."

Kuno was not listening to her. His brain had imploded at thought of Akane being engaged to someone other than him. He slammed his fist against the desk top, denting it, and jumped to his feet. "I will not allow this travesty! I forbid it!"

"You have no right to forbid anything, Kuno!" shouted Nabiki, getting up as well. He ignored her and rushed out of the classroom. In the hall a teacher shouted at him, demanding to know where he was heading. "God damn it!" swore Nabiki. She sunk down back into her seat, snarling as she held her forehead.

* * *

Ranma Saotome was bored.

It was not the teacher's fault. Mrs. Misawa was quite good, and under other circumstances he would have listened to her lesson on Sengoku-era Japan with greater interest. But in truth Ranma found school to be a little silly. Even before becoming Bruce's ward he had never cared for it. But now...

Ranma could defeat whole mobs of men in a fight without breaking a sweat. He could shatter concrete with a punch. He could assess and evaluate a crime scene with a single glance. He could expertly pilot and maintain multi-million dollar vehicles. He led a team of unique teens which included a girl who could fly and lift an Abrams tank over her head with one hand, a boy who could throw balls of water with enough force to shatter titanium steel like glass and was no slouch in the strength department, and another boy who could finish a 200 meter sprint in under a second. And despite all that power, they looked up to him and respected his leadership. He had been to other worlds, other dimensions. He had fought and defeated some of the most dangerous men and women alive.

With all he could do and all the experiences he had, it was hard for Ranma to take school seriously.

But Bruce and Alfred expected him to attend school and do well. Since he respected them, loved them as if they were his father and grandfather (and far as he was concerned they were, Genma Saotome be damned), he did so.

Still, it did not keep him from being bored.

Thankfully one of the things Bruce had taught him was how to compartmentalize his mind and intellectually multi-task. So while part of him listened to Mrs. Misawa and took notes, the majority of his awareness sifted through the events of the day.

He mulled over the feeling he had of having been watched this morning. It had been brief, a pin-prick against his perception, almost unnoticeable, but it still concerned him. Another thing Bruce taught him was to trust his instincts, it could and had been the difference between life and death in the heat of battle. But he had also warned, paradoxically, instincts could be wrong. Ranma was starting to think that this was such an incident. He had been somewhat keyed up this morning, since he had spent much of the previous evening thinking about Kuno, and that could have made his perception overly sensitive.

Ranma frowned, tapping his pen against his chin. He was not happy with this morning's confrontation. As he had said to Akane, he had hoped that between his recent experiences and Talia no longer whispering in Kuno's ear the older student would leave Akane alone. But it seemed not to be the case, and Ranma was coming to the grim conclusion that Kuno was too obsessed to be reasoned with or scared off. Still, the kendoist had not started a fight, so maybe the situation could be controlled without resorting to more drastic measures.

Ranma glanced over at Akane; she was listening to Mrs. Misawa with an adorable look of concentration. Ranma smirked and looked down at his own notebook. His fiancée had calmed down quickly once she had gotten to class. His smirk faded a little as he returned to a problem he had been wrestling with for the past couple of weeks – whether to train Akane as a super-hero.

He sighed inaudibly. It was not as if she did not have the talent – far from it. She possessed phenomenal physical ability, was very intelligent and perceptive. Both Yoru-sensei and Kairi had commented on how quickly she learned new forms and moves, incorporating them into her sparring repertoire almost seamlessly. There was no question she would make a _great_ costumed adventurer.

But the thought of Akane actually doing the things he did on a regular basis...well, it _scared_ him. Ranma made a brief face. He hated to admit, even if only to himself, of being scared, but there was no denying it. The thought of her putting herself on the line against men like the Joker or Brother Blood chilled him to the bone. Two nights after he and Roy had rescued Nabiki, he woke up from a nightmare where Akane's fight with Hugo Strange had been a lot less successful. It had taken him hours to fall back to sleep.

Ranma did not want to see any of his friends get hurt. He could still recall vividly the feelings of horror and despair he had when earlier this year Garth had been struck by one of Kanto's exploding daggers, his formidable Atlantean toughness unable to completely absorb the destructive power of elite Apokolyptian battle tech. It had left him bloody and unconscious, and only a quick application of Mark Moonrider's Mother Box had kept Tempest from dying. Afterwards it had taken him months to recover. But now he was fully healed and back doing fieldwork. Ranma was happy for Garth and was looking forward to the next time he could work with him.

Despite not wanting them to be injured, Ranma had no problems with his friends risking their lives. He could not figure out why he was being a hypocrite when it came to Akane doing something similar. The mere thought of it felt intolerable.

He sighed again, shaking his head slightly. _I owe her an answer_ , he thought. _I don't want to hurt her, but I also don't want to see her hurt. Damn, this is a mess_. Maybe it was time to get some of the others' opinions on this, maybe even canvas Bruce for once, since the final decision to train Akane ultimately laid with him.

Ranma blinked at the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickled, his danger sense buzzing in the back of his head. Faintly he heard the slap of feet in the hallway, steadily growing louder as someone ran quickly toward the classroom. Ranma stood up.

"Mr. Saotome, is there a problem?" Mrs. Misawa asked. Akane looked at him in curious surprise.

Before he could answer the classroom door slammed open and Kuno charged in, his face twisted and flushed with volcanic anger. He was in his kendo outfit, with the addition of a white cloth tied around his forehead.

" _YOU!_ " he roared, pointing his bokken at Ranma. The students closest to the furious upperclassman scrambled out of their seats and away from him.

"Mr. Kuno, what do you think you're doing?" Mrs. Misawa demanded angrily. Kuno ignored her, continuing his rant.

"I will not allow it! Do you hear me? It will not be borne! A lowly cur like you engaged to Akane Tendo! I will oppose this travesty with all the might of my noble body!"

At this announcement the classroom exploded, the students shouting questions or in disbelief. Ranma immediately locked down his expression and risked a quick glance at Akane. She had paled almost snow-white, her eyes blown wide. She started to tremble. _Goddammit!_ Ranma swore silently. If there was a worse way to have their engagement announced he could not think of one. He shifted to screen his fiancee and focused on Kuno.

"Don't see how it's any business of yours, creep," Ranma said, going into an active guard.

"It is my business because Akane Tendo belongs to me and only me!" Kuno roared back. "Have at you!" He charged, barreling through desks as if they were nothing more than straw, bokken raised high over his head. Ranma sidestepped at the last possible instant, the wooden blade cracking the air and gouging the linoleum floor with a terrific crash. Ranma readied to counter but before he struck Akane threw herself at Kuno, slapping him across the face. The sound of her palm meeting his cheek boomed like a gunshot and sent the upperclassman crashing to the ground, bokken flying from his grasp. Kuno groaned, shaking his head, looking up with bleary eyes. Akane loomed above him, fists clenched, legs spread, her face that of a Fury.

" _ **Leave me alone!**_ " she screamed at him. "I don't belong to you! I'm not yours! Haven't you done enough to me?"

"A-akane," gasped out Kuno. "But I love you."

"No you don't! If you loved me you wouldn't have attacked and harassed me for months! You wouldn't have kidnapped me! You wouldn't have nearly-" she slapped her hands over her mouth, a great heaving sob wracking her body. "I hate you," she whispered, the softly spoken words somehow carrying to every corner of the classroom. She turned from him and fled blindly from the classroom.

Ranma spared Kuno one brief, furious glance. The older boy looked nearly as pale as Akane, the expression on his face one of devastated disbelief. _You're mine,_ Ranma thought viciously. But Kuno would keep. Right now helping Akane was far more important. Ranma left the classroom, chasing after his fiancée.

He found her by her leaning against her locker, face buried in her forearms, shoulders heaving. Ranma grimaced, sympathetic pain a sharp ache in his chest. He approached her quietly, biting his lower lip before speaking.

"Akane." She turned to him. Her face was flushed from crying, her eyes wet, her cheeks soaked with tears. Ranma took a handkerchief from his back pocket and offered it to her, grateful that he listened to Alfred about always having one on hand, even though he thought it a prissy sort of habit. Akane accepted it, wiping her eyes and face and blowing her nose.

"Let's get out of here," Ranma said.

"But it's the first day of the term," she protested weakly.

"Damn the term. You're in no shape for this place right now, and if the administration doesn't understand that then they can go to hell. Do you want to go home, or would you like to come over to my house?"

"Your house," she said without hesitation.

Ranma smiled gently and took her free hand. "Come on, Tomboy. Alfred and I will take care of you."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** All of you give PurseMonger a thank you – initially this chapter was only 1500 words or so, but she commented that it felt like the story hadn't made much progress. After giving it some thought I agreed with her and ended up about tripling its length. Hopefully I did well, and you enjoyed this.

In an unwritten story I have in mind called _Shadows Linger_ Ranma tells Akane of the trauma caused by the Cat Fist training and how J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, helped put his sanity back together. He also offers to arrange therapy sessions with J'onn, to help Akane deal with the PTSD she's suffering from her kidnapping at the hands of Kuno and Talia al Ghul.

Thanks again to the wondrous PurseMonger for her pre-reading, suggestions and enthusiastic support.


	3. Chapter 3

School Daze

A Ranma ½ / Batman Fan Fiction

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Batman is the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Both are uses without permission.

Chapter 3

"Alfred, I'm home," Ranma called out as he and Akane stepped through the front door.

Alfred almost immediately appeared at the entry to the _genkan_. He was dressed casually, by his standards, in a white collared button-down shirt with no tie and dark dress slacks. "Master Ranma, why are you back so-" he trailed off when saw Akane, his sharp eyes noticing the fading signs of her crying fit on her face and how she held his youngest charge's hand in a tight grip. "Ah," he murmured, before smiling softly and bowing. "Miss Akane, welcome to our home. Would you like some refreshment – some tea, perhaps?"

She smiled back and nodded. "Yes please. Thank you."

Five minutes later the two teens were seated at the kitchen table, Alfred setting two cups of mint tea and a small platter of cookies before them, then settling down himself.

"I take it that the first day of school was not a peaceful one?" the older man asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," answered Ranma. He glanced at his fiancée. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Akane sipped her tea, holding the cup in both her hands, then nodded. Taking a steadying breath, she proceeded to tell Alfred about the two encounters with Kuno and the abrupt announcement of the engagement. The older gentleman's face grew stern, almost stony, and an angry gleam began to kindle in his usually kind eyes. When she finished he sighed deeply and looked at her sympathetically.

"My dear Miss Akane, I am so sorry you went through this today."

"It's...it's alright, Alfred. I just wish...I was stronger. Leaving school so early because of him...I never did that my first term at Furinkan, no matter how bad the fighting got. I feel like a coward right now."

"Nonsense," declared Alfred, gently but firmly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. This beastly boy had harassed you without surcease for an entire term, culminating his criminal behavior by kidnapping you. You thought you were finally free of him, so to have him approach you as soon as you got to school was a shock. After all this, no one would blame you for wanting to get away from him – even the bravest need time to recuperate, and never doubt that you are a very brave, very strong young woman, Miss Akane."

She stared at him blankly for a brief moment, almost in disbelief, then smiled. It was small and a little watery, but sincere. She had seldom been praised the way he was doing now.

"Thank you, Alfred. Thank you very much." She wiped at her eyes, which were still a little damp. "I must look like a fright. May I use your bathroom, please?"

"Of course."

He told her where it was and she left the kitchen. Alfred looked at Ranma – he had listened attentively during Akane's explanation, occasionally interjecting, and had looked quite pleased when his guardian supported and praised the youngest Tendo. Now he was pensively frowning, fist pressed against his lips.

"You're plotting," observed Alfred.

"That I am," Ranma agreed, dropping his hand. "Nothing too elaborate – just planning on paying Kuno a visit tonight."

"Do you think that will do much good?"

"Doesn't matter. It has to be done. He's transgressed twice since he promised to leave Akane alone. He can't be allowed to get away with that." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I think it could achieve something – going by his expression after Akane slapped him, I think it's finally getting through his thick skull that she'll never want anything to do with him. Maybe tonight I can encourage him to fully embrace that idea."

"I must point out that there's a good chance Kuno may instead re-double his attentions on Miss Akane. It is a common response of the obsessed when they are thwarted."

Ranma made a face. "I know, but I still have to do this. He needs to know I wasn't bluffing, and that his actions are going to have consequences."

"Yes, I agree. But I also think we need to start taking steps to remove Kuno from Akane's presence all together." The butler smiled. "And I believe I can make a good start on that."

"How?"

"In an indirect fashion. Kuno attacked you in your civilian guise – that of Bruce Wayne's ward and heir. As Master Bruce's personal confidant and your current guardian, I plan on going to the school administration and expressing my extreme displeasure over this incident."

Ranma stared at Alfred wide-eyed for a moment before chuckling. "I'm a dummy," he said, bopping his forehead with the heel of his palm. "I never would have thought of that."

Alfred smiled a bit ruefully. "I'm afraid, Master Ranma, you're a bit too inured to physical violence to respond to an attack in such a roundabout measure."

"No doubt." Ranma considered Alfred's idea. "I like it. I think it could work. Kuno's family has money and influence, but I'm pretty sure the reason he got away with these attacks for so long was because of Talia pulling strings in the background. With the League of Shadows out of the picture, I think there's a good chance the school administration and the town government won't be as willing to turn a blind eye to this mess anymore – especially with the kind of pressure and influence Bruce can apply. Maybe we can get Kuno out of school for awhile and get Akane some breathing room there."

"That is my intention." Alfred said as he stood. "I'm going to change before leaving."

"Okay. I'll probably go over to the Tendo's if Akane wants to go home. If I do I'll be back for dinner."

"Very well, Master Ranma."

Akane returned from the bathroom before Alfred left, looking a little happier. She had washed her face, removing the last signs of her crying. The butler stepped into the kitchen a couple minutes later, dressed in a flawlessly pressed suit of white drill, his Panama hat in hand. "I should be no longer than two hours, Master Ranma. Miss Akane, you are welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"Thank you, Alfred. Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?"

"To Furinkan High School, to express my displeasure at their lax disciplinary measures. I'll see you both soon."

"Good luck, Alfred," said Ranma. The butler nodded and departed. Ranma noticed Akane looked worried and explained what Alfred had planned.

"I wish I could be a fly on the wall for this. It's a rare treat, seeing Alfred in high dudgeon. I'm just glad I'm not going to be on the receiving end of it."

Akane frowned. "Do you think it'll make much of a difference? Daddy and Doctor Tofu brought complaints almost daily and no one was willing to do anything."

"Ah, but the situation has changed. The League of Shadows is no longer backing Kuno, plus the administrators at your school has never dealt with anyone quite like Alfred before – believe me, he's very formidable. And don't forget he has access to all of Bruce's resources, and he won't be shy in telling them so. So yeah, I think this has good odds of making a big difference."

"I hope so," said Akane, sighing. "I really don't want to deal with Kuno anymore. I'm beyond sick of him."

"I know. We're going to remove him from you life, Akane. Trust me." She smiled at him, and Ranma felt his heart trip slightly. "So, is there anything you'd like to do? Watch tv, or play some video games? I've got a pretty good gaming system set up, and I don't usually get a chance to mess with it much."

Akane thought a moment. "Could we train instead? Maybe do some sparring? I don't really want to sit around right now. I need to do something. Or maybe hit something. I could pretend a heavy bag is Kuno."

Ranma nodded. "Sure. We turned the basement into a workout room. It's pretty basic, nowhere near as fancy as the set-up in the penthouse. But there's enough space to exercise, and there are some mats on the floor so you won't get too bruised when I toss you around." He flashed her a teasing grin.

Akane laughed, a challenging gleam in her eye. "We'll see about that, jerk. Kairi shown me some new moves that she says always works on you."

"Feh! I'll believe it when I see it, Tomboy. I don't have a gi that will fit you, but I think I've got some sweats that will. I'll go dig 'em up for you."

* * *

They exercised for an hour and a half, doing nothing strenuous – stretches, katas, hitting a heavy bag and wooden multi-armed training dummy and ending the session with a light spar, the basement being too small for anything too serious. Akane actually managed to drop him once, and as he stared someone ruefully at his fiancée happily bouncing on her toes he made a mental note to take the intensity of their spars up a notch. Alfred returned just as Ranma and Akane finished, and while he did not tell them how his meeting with the Furinkan High School administration went, the older man had an air of satisfaction about him.

The two teens took turns bathing, Ranma providing Akane with a blue Chinese shirt and another pair of sweats, since she did not feel like getting back into her school uniform. She had to roll the sleeves up a few times so they did not flap on her. After they cleaned up Alfred cooked them a meal and sat with them as they ate, regaling Akane with stories of a younger Ranma's more dubious experiences in Wayne Manor, much to her delight and her fiancé's mortification. When Ranma asked him why he had to tell Akane those things, the butler smiled and said it was a grandfather's prerogative to embarrass his grandson, especially in front of such a pretty young guest. This comment made Akane blush, ducking her head and Ranma turned a little red. It was embarrassing, but it always extremely pleased him when Alfred referred to him as his grandson.

The young martial artists were saved from further embarrassment by a knock at the front door. Alfred went to answer it, coming back to the kitchen a minute later escorting Nabiki, who was carrying book bags and bentos.

"I should charge you for this," said the middle Tendo, setting her burdens down on the kitchen table. "I feel like a pack mule. I also got the assignments you two missed when you ditched." She looked closely at her sister. "How are you feeling?"

Akane shrugged slightly. "I'm still a little upset, but I'm coping."

"I heard you bitch-slapped Kuno so hard you knocked some of his teeth out."

Akane giggled softly. "Not _quite_ that hard, but I did manage to get him stop attacking Ranma."

"It was awesome," said Ranma.

"Would you like some tea, Miss Nabiki?" Alfred asked.

"No thank you, but could I have a Coke, maybe?"

"Of course." He fetched her a can of soda, placing it before her as she sat down. She nodded her thanks, opened it and took a sip. She sighed and looked at the can glumly.

"You don't look happy," said Akane. "Did something happen to you at school?"

"No, but I feel like I made a mistake." She hesitated before plowing on. "I'm the reason Kuno threw a fit. I told him about your engagement."

"Nabiki!"

She held up a hand. "Let me explain before you yell at me. Please?" Akane frowned unhappily but nodded. Ranma's lips creased slightly as he looked at Nabiki expectantly. "Thank you." She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, sighing again before beginning.

"Kuno approached me at the end of third period. He asked me about who you were, Ranma. At first I didn't want to tell him, but I realized that eventually he was going to find out from someone when the news got out. So I thought maybe I could control his reaction." She shook her head, grimacing. "I should have known better. I told him that you were Akane's fiancé, though I emphasized that it was only a formality and you two had no plans on getting married. Of course, being an idiot, his brain shut down the moment I said 'engagement' and he ran off to pick a fight. I should have charged the fool twenty-thousand yen for the information."

That caught Ranma's attention. "You made him pay to tell you about our engagement?"

Nabiki shrugged, unrepentant. "Yeah. I can always use money, but I did it mostly to try to get myself off the hook. I wasn't too hopeful about him behaving reasonably, and I really didn't want to be the one to get him riled up, so I demanded ten-thousand yen. He's rich, but I didn't think he'd hand over so much cash. I'm sorry guys."

"It's alright," Akane sighed. "It's really not your fault. Kuno was going to throw a fit no matter who he heard this from or when."

Ranma nodded in agreement. "You did your best. You didn't have much of a chance keeping him calm, but that doesn't mean it wasn't worth a try."

Nabiki smiled slightly. "Thanks. I do have some interesting news that should make you happy, sis. Sometime before last period Kuno got called up to the vice-principal's office. I'm not sure what happened, but a rumor is going around that he's been suspended, as hard as that is to believe. I'll try to find out more tomorrow."

Akane indeed looked happy about that. Ranma looked over at Alfred; a slight smile curved the butler's lips and a pleased gleam shone in his eyes. "Good work, Alfred," Ranma said.

"I do have my moments, Master Ranma." At Nabiki's inquiring look Ranma told her about Alfred's visit to Furinkan earlier.

The three teens talked for a little while longer before the Tendo girls decided it was time to go home. Ranma and Alfred saw them to the door.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Alfred," said Akane.

"No trouble, Miss Akane. You will always be welcome in our home."

Once they were gone Ranma grabbed his book bag off the table. "I'm going to start on my homework, Alfred. I'll head out to the Kuno's after sunset." He hesitated a moment. "I may be gone for a few hours."

"Do you expect serious trouble, Master Ranma?"

"Not from him, but I want to do a sweep of the neighborhood." He frowned briefly. "I _thought_ someone was spying on me this morning."

"You don't sound certain."

"I'm not. It was just a brief sensation, less than a moment, but it's been on my mind all day, when I wasn't worrying about Akane. It's possible it could have been my imagination playing tricks on me. I mean, even Bruce sometimes gets a wrong hunch about things like that. However-"

"Better safe than sorry. I agree with your reasoning – best to make certain everything is alright and the League of Shadows is not making a recrudescence into the area. I'll let Master Bruce know, as well."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Ranma hefted his book bag over his shoulder. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Very good, Master Ranma."

* * *

Infiltrating the Kuno manor house was easier this time. Ranma was aware of its eccentricities now due to previous experience, and he had done some careful scouting the week before the school term started, to prepare for this eventuality. Forewarned is forearmed, as Bruce was fond of saying.

He swiftly and silently threaded his way through the winding hallways, evading the occasional servant as he headed for Kuno's bedroom, planning on waiting for him there, if the older student was not already in it. Ranma stopped suddenly, eyes narrowing behind his domino mask, when he heard a familiar voice echoing down a corridor. He headed toward it, quickly recognizing it as belonging to Sasuke, the rabitty-looking ninja manservant he had encountered the last time he was here.

"Master Kuno, please! You'll make yourself ill. You need to relax. Perhaps some tea and a good night's sleep will help you."

"Enough, Sasuke! I grow tired of your badgering. Leave me be."

Ranma grinned evilly. _Found you_. He heard Sasuke's resigned reply before ducking into an unoccupied parlor, listening to the ninja's soft footfalls receding. Once certain the way was clear Ranma re-entered the hall, ghosting to the room he had heard Sasuke and Kuno argue in, peering through an archway into a small dining room. Kuno sat at the end of a table, back to him, still dressed in his kendo uniform. He was leaning forward on the table, face buried in his arms and his bokken before him on the tabletop. Ranma entered with a deliberately heavy tread.

"I told you to leave me be, Sasuke!" Kuno snapped, not bothering to look up.

"And I told you to leave Akane Tendo alone, Kuno," Ranma replied.

The older teen stiffened, jerking up violently and twisting about. "Nightwing!" he shouted.

He seized his bokken and leaped to his feet, knocking his chair aside as he charged the young vigilante, swinging his weapon one-handed. Ranma ducked beneath the strike and punched Kuno in the pit of his stomach, just above his groin. The kendoist's eyes started from their sockets, his cheeks bulging. A groan escaped his lips as he fought against the urge to double over, his lean frame trembling from pain and effort. As he struggled Ranma disarmed him, grabbed him by the collar with both hands and dragged him to a wall, pinning him against it.

"I warned you," Ranma growled, lifting Kuno off his feet. "I told you to stay away from Akane Tendo. I promised you that I would pound you to scrap if you didn't leave her alone. Am I going to have to do that, Kuno? Because frankly I'm really liking the idea, especially since you're not giving me a whole lot of other alternatives."

Kuno struggled feebly in his grasp for a moment before going slack, as if all volition had been drained from his body. His eyes shut and he bowed his head so low his chin touched his collarbone.

"Go ahead," he muttered. "It matters not what you do to me. All light in my life has dimmed, leaving me in hateful darkness. Akane Tendo...she...she _hates_ me..."

Ranma pursed his lips. Kuno's voice sounded lifeless, utterly defeated. Carefully he set the older boy on his feet and let him go, taking a few steps back. Kuno slid down the wall, slumping against it, legs drawn up. He buried his face in his knees and let out a low, piteous groan.

"She was the only girl I've ever met worthy of my attention, but she ignored me. I thought that by challenging her she would respond, realize I was the only one who truly knew her. A relationship born from competition and the understanding one can only achieve through fighting. Akane Tendo should have loved me, but now...now she despises me, and I can't figure out why."

"Really?" said Ranma sarcastically. "You harass her almost from the moment she started high school, encourage a whole bunch of other morons to aid and abet you, and wind the whole thing up by getting her drugged and kidnapped, and you can't understand why maybe, just maybe, she hates your guts?"

Kuno glared up angrily, "Be silent, you masked wretch! You have no comprehension of Akane Tendo's true nature. She is not some demure maiden to be wooed, but a warrior to be conquered. Only by proving my strength was greater than hers could I ever have her be mine."

"And how did that work out for you?" Ranma asked. Kuno opened his mouth to retort, but only a gasp emerged. His anger vanished, his face crumpled and again he covered it with his hands.

"She hates me," he mumbled. "But I was told-"

"You were lied to," Ranma snapped. "You were lied to and used by a woman who saw you as nothing more than a tool to further her own plans."

The young superhero grimaced sharply, running a gloved hand through his unruly hair. As much as it irked him, the fact remained that Kuno, in some ways, was just as much a victim as Akane. Not that it completely excused him from culpability in this mess. But right now, seeing him seemingly completely broken, the idea of beating him up was about as appealing as kicking a puppy. Ranma took a deep breath and heaved it out.

"Did your manservant tell you you're lucky to be alive?" he asked. Kuno looked up at him, startled. "I guess not. Alright, I'm going to explain this to you once and only once: when you finished serving her purpose, Talia – Theresa Raskill, as you know her – wouldn't have had any compunction against killing you, if the whim had struck her. She actually had planned on it, considering she gave you a virulent aphrodisiac. Akane was suppose to kill you in retaliation for your attempted rape."

Kuno choked. "You lie!" He gasped.

"I have no need to. What you've done is beyond the pale as it – why would I need to add something else to the list?" Ranma's brows furrowed slightly. "You don't remember. I guess whatever Talia gave you also ended up inhibiting your memory – you have a bastard's luck Kuno. You're extremely lucky that after Akane knocked you out, Talia found another use for you. I don't think you'll ever be so lucky again."

Kuno stared at him, face growing pale. "I... I..."

"You'll leave Akane Tendo alone. And not just for her sake, but your own as well. You keep obsessing over her, you'll end up destroying yourself."

Kuno tried to bristle and did not quite succeed. "You dare to threaten me-"

"Oh lay off it," Ranma snapped, his tolerance coming to an end. "I'm not threatening you, I'm just telling you a fact." He shook his head sharply. "I don't know why I'm even bothering, since guys like you never listen. Against my better judgment I'm giving you a pass tonight, but after this you even sneeze in Akane's direction I will tie you into a goddamn knot."

Kuno said nothing for a moment, simply trying to stare sternly at Ranma. Then he sighed, closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I will leave her alone. But not because of your boorish threats, but because...I can not bear her hate."

Ranma stared at him closely and nodded in turn. "I'll hold you to that, Tatewaki Kuno." He turned on his heel and departed, leaving Kuno to his misery and self-loathing.

* * *

Kodachi Kuno walked to her bedroom as if she were in a dream. She felt as if she was floating, her slippered feet treading clouds. A coquettish smile and demure blush graced her maidenly features and her eyes shone with wonder. She could distinctly feel the thrum of her pulse; her blood seemed to chant a name over and over, her heart beating in time with each syllable.

 _Night...Wing...Night...Wing..._

She swept into her room, sat gracefully on her bed, threw herself dramatically back onto her pillows and stared up at the ceiling, her smile growing wider by the moment. Her laughter poured forth, pealing against the walls. Members of Kodachi's family had told her she should not laugh like that, that it engendered grave doubts about her sanity. She considered them fools. Her laughter was beautiful beyond compare. Everything she did was beautiful, and now she finally found someone worthy of her beauty.

 _Night...Wing...Night...Wing..._

When she first heard the name she had given it little thought. Her darling older brother had stumbled back home, body sore and faced ink-stained, cursing the name. He cursed it again the next day, when this man interfered with his 'courtship' with whatever peasant girl he was so obsessed with. Kodachi found it amusing, as she always found Tatewaki's discomfort amusing, but otherwise did not care. The name Nightwing sounded familiar – he was evidently some sort of super-hero from America – but other than that she did not know anything about him and had no desire to learn.

But then tonight she saw him in the flesh.

She had been spying on Tatewaki as he wallowed in his misery. According to Sasuke he finally comprehended that the peasant girl wanted nothing to do with him and was taking the revelation poorly. Kodachi was waiting for the appropriate moment to goad him, push him over the edge, for his explosions of wrath were highly entertaining and were among the few times he actually paid attention to her. But before she could act, a stranger confronted her brother – a man in a black and blue bodysuit that showed off to perfection his lean, muscular body. His hair was a wild mane of black, tied in a pony-tail, his face handsome and strongly made, eyes concealed by a bat-shaped domino mask.

 _Night...Wing...Night...Wing..._

She had never seen someone so manly, so masterful. From the moment he stepped into the dining room Tatewaki had no chance against him, and Kodachi's blood thrilled at the sight. But then, unexpectedly, Nightwing proved he was no mere brute by showing mercy to her wretched brother.

Kodachi's stopped laughing, letting out a breathy sigh. Something inside her was opening like a flower blossoming, spreading its petals to the sun for the first time. She felt flushed overheated by these new sensations permeating her being. She rose from her bed and went to one of her windows, throwing it open to allow the night air to cool her. She sighed in contentment, the evening breeze feeling wonderful on her flushed face.

A noise arose from the yard, a faint rustling. She sucked in a breath, eyes widening in excitement. Maybe it was Nightwing. She quickly leaned out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous masked man. Spying nothing, she leaned out further, looking for any sign of him. Suddenly her palms slipped against the sill and with a shriek she tumbled out the window. She tried to twist in mid-air, but the kimono she wore hindered her acrobatic abilities. She closed her eyes tight in fear of the coming impact.

It never came. Strong arms snatched her out of the air. She heard a soft grunt, felt a gentle jolt, and after a brief moment of disorientation she realized she was on the ground, safely cradled in someone's arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at a handsome, masked face framed by untamed black hair. Kodachi's heart fluttered and throbbed in her breast at the sight.

"Are you alright?" Nightwing asked, his masculine tenor rumble making her toes curl. For the first time in her life words failed her and she but nodded rapidly. Seemingly satisfied by her answer, the super-hero set her on her feet and gave her a jaunty two-fingered salute, paired with a smile that made her knees turn to water. He took a step back and vanished in plain sight, the evening shadows swallowing him.

Kodachi stood there for a long time, staring at where Nightwing had once been. She replayed their brief personal encounter over and over again, reveling in the memories of physical contact. She imagined herself falling anew from her window, and him saving her again, but instead of setting her down and leaving, Nightwing would take her in his strong arms, crush her to his muscular chest, kiss her with bruising but loving force...

She never felt this way before. She did not want this feeling to ever end.

"Nightwing," she whispered. "I love you..."

* * *

 **A** **uthor's Notes:** Thanks once again to the ever-wondrous and talented PurseMonger for taking the time to pre-read my work.


	4. Chapter 4

Looking For Trouble

A Ranma ½ / Batman Fan Fiction

by

Jeremy Harper

Disclaimer – Ranma ½ is the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. Batman is the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Both are used without permission.

Chapter 4

"Do you think Kuno will keep his word this time?" asked Nabiki.

"I believe him for now. But as for the future?" Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just say I'll be keeping a close eye on him until we're in Gotham."

"That's five months away," Akane pointed out, sounding a little unhappy.

"It'll be something to keep me occupied on slow nights," Ranma replied blandly.

The three teens were walking to Furinkan High School. Ranma had told the two Tendo sisters of his encounter with Kuno the previous night. He had not mentioned his saving Kuno's younger sister from a nasty fall afterwards, considering that a minor detail irrelevant to the situation at hand.

"I wish you didn't have to," continued Akane. "I wish the jerk would just leave me alone."

" _I_ wish you would've kicked his dumb ass into next week," said Nabiki with some heat.

Ranma shrugged again. "For what's it worth, Akane, I think he will." He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so completely defeated before. I believe what you said to him yesterday, punctuated by that epic bitch-slap you gave him, finally drove home the fact you want nothing to do with him."

"I don't know if I really believe that, Ranma. I beat him up more times than I can remember, and all it seemed to do was encourage him."

"True, but don't forget he had Talia and her agents feeding his delusions. He doesn't have that sort of reinforcement anymore." He threw Nabiki a glance. "As for _me_ beating him up... well, I couldn't. He looked so pitiful I couldn't find it in myself to do it. Besides, I doubt anything I could do to him physically would have compared to what he was doing to himself emotionally."

"I still think you should have done it," said Nabiki. "He deserves it."

"Yeah, I don't really disagree with you on that. But I don't beat up cripples, and that's what Kuno is right now – an emotional cripple. I'm a jerk, but not that big of a jerk."

"And if he recovers from being a cripple and starts harassing Akane again?"

"Then I'll teach him a lesson he'll be a long time in recovering from – if the Tomboy doesn't beat me to it." He flashed his fiancée a grin. Akane stuck her tongue out at him.

The three teens walked for a couple minutes in silent contemplation. During that time Akane noticed Ranma still seemed to be very watchful.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

Ranma hummed in response. "I _think_ so."

"Is someone watching us?" Nabiki asked seriously. She remembered Ranma's comment on the walk to school yesterday.

"... No," Ranma said after a moment. "After visiting the Kuno estate I took some time to look around, see if I could flush anything out. I found nothing. False alarms happens sometimes."

"But you're still on the look out right now," said Akane.

"A little paranoia every once in a while never hurt anyone."

Nabiki shook her head. "You lead one hell of a strange life, Saotome."

"No argument there," said Ranma. He smiled a wide grin at the two sisters. "But it also can be a whole lot of fun."

* * *

Akane found her second day back at school to be less stressful yet paradoxically more frustrating than her first. On the positive side, she quickly learned that Kuno had been indefinitely suspended from school 'pending further investigation'. That last bit peeved her somewhat – he had orchestrated a continual campaign of harassment against her in front of dozens of witnesses for almost three months; just how much investigating was really needed? But on the whole she was immensely relieved that she would not have to deal with the upperclassman in the near future, and hopefully she would manage to avoid seeing him at all before she left for Gotham after New Year's.

Yet despite being nowhere near her, Kuno had managed yet again to complicate Akane's life. His brazen announcement of her engagement to Ranma had spread through the school like wildfire, and she found herself inundated with questions about her fiancé and their relationship. She followed Ranma's advice, simply stating that the engagement was just a formality to satisfy family honor and that it would be peaceably dissolved in the next few years. She did not know what she found more irritating – the students who did not believe her or the girls who did and started to express a rather perturbing (to Akane at least) interest in Ranma. It cost her a great deal of will not to tell those girls to keep away from him, but she managed. The last thing she wanted was to give the other students the wrong impression after swearing that the two of them were just friends. There was also the fact that she and Ranma were just that – friends. It was well within his rights to see, even date, anyone he chose to, though the thought of him actually doing so made Akane feel uneasy. She studiously avoided pondering just exactly _why_ that thought disturbed her.

She also learned that Ranma was receiving his own fair share of attention – attention even more unpleasant than what she experienced. They had separated for lunch, Ranma wanting to explore the school grounds by himself, so Akane spent the period with Yuka and Sayuri, who listened to her vent with patient sympathy. Heading back to home room five minutes before the bell, they ran across Ranma being confronted by five boys near the front steps. Akane growled softly when she recognized the five as former participants in Kuno's campaign. Their posture was aggressive verging on openly threateningly, while Ranma seemed more amused by the situation than anything else; though she thought she could perceive a hint of annoyance in the way his mouth was quirked.

"You got some nerve, Saotome, just sweeping in here and taking Akane away for yourself," the largest of the quintet said.

Ranma rolled his eyes, his annoyance growing somewhat more pronounced. "First of all, _I_ didn't do anything of the sort. This was agreed upon between the Tendos, my family and my guardian. They made the decision about the engagement. Second, there's nothing romantic going on between Akane and myself. We're friends. That's all. Finally, I don't appreciate you talking about her like she's some sort of prize. She a person, not a trophy to be fought over with no consideration for her feelings."

"Oh, you don't like the way I talk, huh?" The student thrust his chin out pugnaciously. "Whatcha ya gonna do about it, punk?"

"He doesn't have to do anything. _I_ will!" She stormed up, fists clenched, her eyes blazing with anger. "You jerks! You promised to leave me alone, and as far as I'm concerned your promise includes not harassing my friends. I should thrash the whole lot of you for this!"

Four of the five boys flinched back, cowed by both the object of their deluded affection's anger and the memory of the ferocious masked man that had wrested their vow to stop pursuing Akane in such an aggressive fashion. The student haranguing Ranma hunched his shoulders momentarily but then sneered at him.

"Aren't you a tough guy, letting a girl fight your battles for you."

Ranma's expression stiffened briefly, then relaxed into a lazy, contemptuous smile. "You're a dumbass. Take a shot at me."

The student stared at him. "What?"

"Don't you understand Japanese? I shouldn't be surprised, considering you couldn't understand the words 'no' and 'not interested for months. Take your best shot at me. If you tag me, even just graze me, I'll kowtow to you and break my engagement to Akane right here and now, leaving her free to date anyone she wants." Ranma's grin grew wider. "Not that she'd ever give you the time of day. I mean, look at you. Even if you hadn't pissed her off by attacking her for three months running, I know for a fact that she has _way_ too much class to be interested in knuckle-scraping, mouth-breathing Neanderthals."

The student's face twisted in anger. "You sonnova-!" His fist snapped out. Ranma checked the punch by grabbing the other boy's wrist and twisting it. The student's face paled sharply and he let out a low cry. Ranma continued to apply pressure, forcing him to double over, high-pitched whimpers of pain falling in a torrent from his lips.

Ranma looked at him, still smiling, then looked at the student's four friends. They immediately shuffled away from him. Ranma glanced around at the crowd of students that had been attracted by the commotion.

"Akane and I are friends," Ranma announced, raising his voice so to be heard over his over-matched opponent's groans and pleadings. "One of the reasons we became friends is because we bonded over a shared interest – martial arts. My father is an absolute fanatic about them and started training me when I began walking. I was his student until I was ten, and afterwards I had the good fortune to be taught by masters even better than he was. To put it plainly, I am not someone you want to screw with."

He emphiszed this by putting slightly more pressure on the idiot's wrist, causing him to cry out sharply and fall to his knees. Ranma pushed the student away, releasing his lock. The student fell on his rear and scrambled away, clutching at his aching wrist. Ranma ignored him, focusing on his four friends.

"Do you have any other objections about me being Akane's fiancé?" he asked. They frantically shook their heads. "Good. Keep it that way." He glanced around again, shrugged, and climbed up the steps to the school's front doors, Akane following. Once inside she looked at him closely; his expression seemed neutral, but his eyes glittered hotly.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Ranma shrugged and grimaced.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that I'm finally, truly understanding how big a bunch of fools the boys in your school are. Don't get me wrong, I had a pretty good idea they weren't the sharpest swords on the rack to begin with, but I didn't realize until now just how moronic these guys are. Damn." He shook his head in mock-amazement.

"They are pretty dumb, no question." She smiled softly. "But they are bright enough to be scared. I don't think you'll have to worry about anyone else picking fights with you again."

Ranma smirked. "Too bad. Thrashing twenty or thirty idiots every morning would make for a good warm-up."

Akane snorted. "Trust me, that gets old real fast," she retorted. She looked quickly around to make sure no one was close by before adding quietly: "Besides, they'd stop after the first time you beat them all up. You are no where near as nice as me, after all."

Ranma chuckled. "Very true. I'm also no where near as cute, so they wouldn't have the motivation to keep up with it."

Akane blushed slightly at the complement.

* * *

Things were calmer the next day at Furinkan, much to Akane and Ranma's relief. They still had to deal with a few questions and were subject to curious looks, but at least no one tried to accost Ranma again.

The two students had gym class that day, and Ranma had the opportunity to display some of his gymnastic ability. He did not reveal his full abilities, of course, but he was feeling cocky and wanted to show off. Afterwards he sat down on the field and watched the girls' class play softball. To his complete lack of surprise Akane was captain of one of the teams, and her team was in the lead. Ranma leaned back on his arms as he watched the game. Two other boys in his class, Hiroshi and Daisuke, had joined him. They asked him questions about living in the States and Gotham City, which he fielded as easily as Akane fielded pop-flies to right field.

At least, he _was_ fielding them easily until Hiroshi asked: "So level with us, how far have you gotten with Akane?"

Ranma blinked. "Say _what_?" he said flatly.

Daisuke chuckled. "Come on, don't be shy. You're her fiancé, aren't you?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Technically yeah, but it's just a formality. We're engaged to satisfy family honor and keep her old man and my idiot parents off our backs. We're breaking it off once I turn twenty-one."

The two boys looked a bit surprised by the venom in his tone. "You don't like your parents much?" Daisuke asked.

Ranma shrugged. "Let's just say I have good reasons for living in Gotham City and leave it at that."

Daisuke gave him a curious look, but Hiroshi just shook his head sharply. "We're getting off topic. You seriously mean to tell us that you haven't gotten to at least first base with Akane?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because we're friends – pretty good friends, considering we've only know each other for few weeks, but that's all we are."

Hiroshi laughed incredulously. "I can't believe it. You're not blind, are you? You know just how hot she is?"

"No, I'm not," Ranma said. "But I can appreciate her looks without being an ass about it."

"You're a better man than I am, Saotome," said Daisuke. "If she was my fiancée I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of her."

"You try to put your hands on her without her permission, she'll break 'em." Ranma was growing annoyed and some anger was bleeding into his voice. _And then I'd break_ you, he thought viciously. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking about my _friend_ like she's a toy. She had more than her fair share of that garbage from that samurai-wannabe who got suspended."

Both young men flinched a bit from the fierce glare of his sharp blue eyes. "Okay, okay," said Hiroshi, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry."

"Yeah, we didn't mean any harm."

"Unh," grunted Ranma. He blew out a breath to calm himself. "Fine."

"So, just to clarify, you really have no interest in Akane as anything more than a friend?" asked Hiroshi.

Ranma hesitated briefly before retorting. "No."

A loud 'crack' sounded from the softball field. Without looking Ranma lifted his hand to catch the softball shooting toward his head. It slapped loudly against his palm and he easily kept hold of it.

The boys in the gym class all looked at him in amazement. "Woah," Daisuke muttered.

Ranma stared at the ball and blinked. "Huh." He looked toward the softball field, where all the girls were looking at him wide-eyed. Akane was at the plate, bat in hand. She looked somewhat pale, having realized she had nearly beaned him on the head.

Ranma jumped to his feet, took a few steps and threw the softball toward the pitcher. "You're suppose to hit the ball _between_ the baselines, Tomboy," he called out.

Akane glared, sticking her tongue out at him and pulling down an eyelid before turning back to the game. Ranma chuckled and watched her. He was smirking, but his smirk was fond, maybe even a little tender.

"You sure you're not interested in her, Saotome?" Daisuke asked slyly. Ranma glowered slightly but otherwise ignored the question.

* * *

"How have things gone today, Akane?" Yuka asked as they and Sayuri settled beneath a tree behind the school for lunch.

"Better," said Akane. "At least I'm getting fewer questions about Ranma now." She rolled her eyes a little.

"I can't really blame the other girls," Sayuri chimed in. "I mean, he's very cute and you both said that you're just friends, despite of being engaged."

"I... guess," admitted Akane, frowning slightly.

"Is it bothering you?" asked Yuka. "The other girls being interested in him?"

"A little. I mean, I know they aren't going to challenge him to fights in an effort to get to date him. It's not as if they're as stupid as the boys here."

"That's not saying much," said Sayuri. "The amoebas we studied in biology last semester are smarter than Furinkan boys." The three friends laughed at that.

"Still," continued Akane, "Ranma really doesn't want the attention."

Yuka hummed softly. "How about you, Akane, are you interested in him?"

"What?" Akane blushed a little. "No, of course not! Don't get me wrong, he's a really good guy, and we've become great friends, but nothing is going on between us. He's not interested."

"Yeah, and we also know Akane has her eye on someone else," drawled Sayuri.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Akane replied, sincerely baffled.

"Really? The name Nightwing doesn't ring a bell?"

Akane's blush intensified, and her eyes darted upward. Yuka looked at her, suddenly very interested.

"That's... that's absurd, Sayuri!" Akane exclaimed. "I barely know him."

"Even though he's helped you out, what, three times?"

"It's not like we got to hang out afterwards!"

"So are you telling us you don't think he's hot?"

"Yes! I mean... no! I mean... ugh!"

"It's okay, Akane," Yuka patted her on the arm. "Sayuri's just teasing. And it's alright if you have a bit of a crush on him. I think most of the girls at school are crushing on Nightwing. He's a really good looking guy, and it was so cool the way he scared off all the perverts."

"Good looking is selling him short," said Sayuri. "He's gorgeous. And that bodysuit and mask make him look _so_ mysterious and sexy." She grinned naughtily at her friends. "I don't know about you two, but if Nightwing ever found me alone and told me to bend over my desk and hike up my skirt, I'd be all like, 'yes, daddy'."

"Oh my God," Akane groaned, burying her burning face into her palms.

"I really can't believe you sometimes," said Yuka, shaking her head, a blush of her own staining her cheeks.

"I'm just telling you the truth," Sayuri laughed.

Akane dropped her hands and gave her friend a gimlet stare. "I'm not talking about this anymore," she said primly as she reached for her bento.

* * *

Classes had ended for the day, and as students headed out they noticed a stranger standing inside the gates, leaning against one of the posts, muscular arms folded across a broad chest. He was a foreigner, around the same age as most of the students, with bright green eyes and deep red hair cut very short, dressed in a tight red tee-shirt and blue jeans. He was looking at the school's front doors, obviously waiting for someone, a pleased smile playing across his lips. The smile became a grin when Ranma and Akane emerged from the school, school bags slung over their shoulders as they chatted with each other.

The stranger pushed off the post and trotted toward them, throwing up a hand. "Hey yo!" he called out.

Ranma and Akane looked up at the call. Both teens smiled brightly at the sight of him and immediately walked to meet him.

"Hey buddy!" Ranma said, grabbing the teen's hand and playfully bumping shoulders with him. "I wasn't expecting to see you until maybe Friday."

"We managed to get in a little early," Roy Harper said. "Dig doesn't really need my help at Queen Consolidated right now, so I figured I'd swing by and see how you guys were doing."

"Hello, Roy," Akane said, giving her newest friend a welcoming hug. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"Great to see you too, kid." His smile faded a little when she stepped back. "Things going alright here?" he asked, giving a sideways glance around the school grounds as he recalled the outrageous situation Akane had to deal with during her first semester in high school. He noticed that many students had stopped to watch them, curious about the _gaijin_ who was obviously friends with the school idol and her glamorous new fiancé.

Akane frowned a little. "The first day back was a little rough," she said with a soft sigh, but her expression quickly brightened. "But things are a lot better now."

Roy nodded. "You'll have to fill me in, but I'm happy to hear you don't have to break heads just to get to class."

"We got that pretty much settled for now," said Ranma.

" _ **Roy!**_ " The three teens turned toward the school doors to see Nabiki bearing down on them. The Furinkan students started to whisper and gossip among themselves. While Nabiki was not exactly running, she was walking very quickly, and no one could ever recall seeing the Ice Queen of Furinkan smile the way she was right now. She went right up to Roy, dropping her school bag and glomping on to him tight.

Roy laughed, hugging her back. "Hey babe."

Nabiki tightened her own embrace before leaning away from him, hands laced around the back of his neck, her eyes bright with good humor and her smile mischievous.

"So, what did you bring me?" she drawled.

Ranma's eyes narrowed at the comment, lips pursing. Akane rolled her own eyes slightly, but smiled fondly at the interplay between her older sister and her friend.

Roy simply laughed and smirked. "What, my grand and glorious self ain't enough for you?"

Nabiki's lips quirked as she mock-pondered his question. "Well... if that's all you have, I guess it'll have to do." She grinned and hugged him again, letting out a little squeal. The spectating students were dumbfounded, never imagining _Nabiki Tendo_ , of all people, capable of making such a happy girlish sound.

"Huh," muttered Ranma, his expression softening.

"I'm so happy that you're back in Japan, Roy," Nabiki declared. Her grin became devilish as she stood on her tip toes and whispered something into his ear. Roy blinked in surprise, his tanned cheeks darkening slightly. Ranma's brows shot up – he could not recall the last time he saw Roy blush.

"That's definitely something to look forward to," he said, voice a bit hoarse. He coughed to clear it, recovering his poise. "But right now, how about we head over to that Neapolitan Ice Cream parlor. I liked the food there. My treat?"

Nabiki nodded happily at the suggestion, as did Akane. Ranma shrugged and smiled. "You know I never turn down free food. One of the few useful lessons my fool of an old man taught me. Lead on." They headed for the school gates, Roy grinning, extremely happy to have his new girlfriend on his arm and two good friends at his side.

* * *

Ranma was one of the last students to leave Furinkan the next day. The vice-principal had called him up to the office to discuss Tatewaki Kuno's attempted assault. He was surprised it had taken until Thursday for Furinkan's administration to interview him. But perhaps he should not have been – they had let Akane be ridiculously and violently harassed for the entire first term. Them taking three days to talk to him was minor in comparison to _that_ irregularity.

He walked through the school gates, bag slung over his shoulder and whistling happily. He was meeting with Akane, Roy and Nabiki at his house, after which the four of them were going to take the train to Ahkihabara to look around and shop for a few hours. While Ahkihabara was not exactly his first choice of a place to hang out, Ranma was glad to get the chance to spend time with Roy. As much as he enjoyed Akane's company, he was missing his other friends. Late August, and the chance to see Donna, Wally and Garth, could not come soon enough.

He was walking down the street toward his house when he slowed his pace. A few blocks ahead he spotted Nabiki and Kuno. They were talking quietly, both of them looking agitated. Nabiki had her arms crossed defensively across her chest and was scowling at the taller student. Kuno, dressed in his kendoist uniform, was looming over her, on the boundary of her personal space. His face was wan and pale, making him look sickly, and he was speaking sharply and emphatically. Nabiki suddenly grimaced, nodded her head toward the alleyway they stood before, then walked into it, Kuno following her so closely he was practically treading on her heels.

Ranma frowned deeply, briefly wondering what to do before choosing a course of action. He quickly scanned his surroundings, making sure no one was around then jumped up to the roof of the building he stood by, easily clearing the gutter and landing without a sound. He traversed rooftops until he reached the alley Nabiki and Kuno had entered, and squatted down by the edge to eavesdrop.

"No," Nabiki said.

"But Nabiki Tendo," whined Kuno.

"No means _no_ , Kuno. I would think you'd understand that by now, considering how often that's been beaten into your thick skull."

"Just one more, Nabiki Tendo. That's all I ask. One more." Ranma pursed his lips, eyes narrowing. He did not like the tone of Kuno's voice. It reminded him too much of an addict trying to wheedle one more hit from the dealer who just cut him off.

"You must have over a hundred of them by now. Why the hell do you need another one?"

"I... I am too familiar with my collection. I need something fresh. Though it is beneath my dignity, I beg you. Procure for me one more picture of my fierce tigress and I'll pay you-"

" _ **NO!**_ " Nabiki cut him off, spitting out the word. "I don't want to hear it. I never should have sold those to you in the first place."

 _Pictures?_ Wondered Ranma. He suddenly remembered all the photos and posters of Akane that he had seen adorning Kuno's bedroom walls, when he infiltrated the Kuno estate in search of his missing fiancée. Understanding hit him hard, and he had to clench his teeth hard to keep an explosive, angry breath from hissing through them.

"But Nabiki -"

"Get out of my way and leave me alone."

Ranma heard a grunt then rapid footsteps. He risked a peek down into the alleyway, spying Kuno slumped against a wall, face buried in his hands, looking completely pathetic, and Nabiki storming out of the alley and turning onto the sidewalk.

Ranma stood up, shaking his head sharply, fist clenched tight at his sides. He jumped across the alley, chasing after Nabiki. He let her get a couple of blocks away from Kuno before he dropped down directly in front of her path. She let out a little shriek of surprise, clapping a hand over her mouth and staggering back.

"Ranma!" she shouted. "What's the big deal? You nearly scared me to..." She trailed off, color draining from her face when she noted the arctic chill of the glare he transfixed her with.

"We need to talk, Nabiki," Ranma snarled. "And we need to talk _now_."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Thanks once again to the wondrous Pursemonger for taking time from her busy schedule to pre-read my work. She has definitely helped improve the quality of my writing.

Hopefully the next chapter of _School Daze_ won't take another two years to finish.


End file.
